Friends Don't Let Friends Freeze!
by ChikitaWolf
Summary: One chilly, stormy night, Allen has a surprise visitor at his lonely spot on that one bench in front of the stained glass window. Before he knows it, the cursed boy and Kira Malcolm, his comrade and friend, find themselves in a bit of a predicament, needing light and warmth. Who will be the one to provide it? And by what method - surely not Allen's hair? ONE-SHOT. -MILD- CANON x OC


**Warning**: _This fanfic contains _very_ mild Canon x FC. If you don't like fan characters (also known as original characters), you probably ought to click that dandy back button. Also, if you happen to be a new reader of my rewritten fanfiction Song of the Fourteenth, bewarned that there are spoilers!_

**Want to learn more about Kira? **_You can find her main fanfiction, Song of the Fourteenth, here on (just visit my profile). Also, I have artwork of her and gift drawings of her on deviantART, where I'm ChikitaWolf there too. _

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**{{ A DGM Song of the Fourteenth One-Shot }}**

**.: _Friends Don't Let Friends Freeze _:.**

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Shadows swathed the chilly Black Order halls. It was like any other nippy night in London, England - rain, rain, and more dreary rain. One would think the inhabitants would get used to it by now, but there were a few who weren't so keen on it.

Allen Walker sighed, his breath leaving his lips in a white cloud due to the cold. He had left his room to escape. To escape what, he wasn't entirely sure. As of late, he'd felt an overwhelming sense of constriction - as if the walls were closing in on him. While he had finally gotten used to losing his privacy, courtesy of Inspector Lvellie's orders, he still couldn't quite shake off the discomfort of pressure from other forces.

The unnerving shadow in the window certainly didn't help alleviate this sensation. The boy's silvery eyes narrowed as he focused away from the empty-eyed reflection taunting him. Yes, it was quite bearable since he'd accepted it would be there always, and that he would simply ignore it. Deciding to further this exact course of action, the cursed teenager closed his eyes and concentrated on the pitter patter of rain against the stained glass.

"Enjoying the weather, Allen?"

A certain Destroyer of Time about jumped out of his skin, his head snapping to his left to locate the sudden voice that broke through the quiet of the Order halls. He relaxed, however, as his silver eyes landed upon a familiar shape stepping out of the shadows. Dark skin was illuminated through the flickering glow of candlelight, and bright blue eyes smiled back at him in welcome.

Allen's lip twitched as he smiled half-heartedly towards his arriving comrade. "I think it's sort of depressing," he admitted, responding to the younger exorcist's question.

"The rain?" inquired Kira Malcolm, placing her candle on the windowsill before the bench. The flame danced brightly against the colored glass, its warm glow contrasting starkly with the gray, shadowy coldness around them.

"Yes, the rain," confirmed Allen in a somewhat somber voice. The white-haired exorcist scooted to the side of the stone bench he sat upon, inviting Kira to sit; and the dark-skinned teen accepted his offer, wrapping her blanket tighter around her frame as she settled next to her sort-of mentor. "I've always thought it to be rather gloomy," added the Crown Clown Accommodator once they were both comfortable.

Kira laughed. "I rather like the rain though," she said lightly.

"You do?" exclaimed Allen, gray eyes wide, surprised by her answer.

"Yes!" repeated Kira with a bright smile, the candlelight's glow flickering warmly against her brown face. "I like the sound it makes - almost like music, don't you think?"

"Really cold and wet music," responded the older exorcist with a laugh, feeling himself relax as he took on the light conversation.

Kira, meanwhile, stuck out her tongue childishly before swinging her legs back and forth, calling warmth back into her bare feet with the movement. She had been more than happy to get out of bed and take a stretch, but she hadn't quite expected it to be so cold! The stone beneath their bums was considerably cold and gray, echoing the outpour and dreary London weather outside. As a chill slipped through her fairly thin nightgown and bit at her flesh, sucking her of any warmth, the brunette began to wish her little cat Chikita was with her, as the feline was a great source of heat when temperatures were low. This blanket couldn't nearly compare to the fuzzy animal!

Though, perhaps it felt weird as well since the skin Innocence on her wrists and ankles didn't feel the chill as strongly. Kira's blue eyes flitted over to the one and half inch thick bands of black epidermal flesh on her ankles. Perhaps if she activated her Innocence, she'd be a little warmer, but she wasn't up for the side effects of gluttonous hunger such activation brought on. She hummed softly, continuing the movement of her legs to keep warmer, mind wandering.

Ah, speaking of the cold's nip, Kira flashed a glance at her companion. Like her, Allen was in his nightclothes, loose fitting pants and a nightshirt, which was unbuttoned at the top, revealing the large scar upon his chest. While the ivory-haired, scarred teen didn't appear chilled initially, the young girl could just barely spot goosebumps upon the pale flesh of his right wrist and hand, barely outlined by the jittery candlelight as his gray eyes locked on the window before them, seemingly deep in thought.

Shifting a little, the female exorcist rearranged her blanket, which was more than enough to accommodate another person, plopping the extra length of it on Allen's head, inadvertently jolting him out of his daydreaming. A light blush dusted his pale cheeks at his companion's rather forward gesture, and the gentlemen side of him immediately attempted to politely refuse her offer, but the younger would hear none of it -

"Friends don't let friends freeze."

"But-"

"Take the blanket, Allen," Kira cut him off with an amused grin at his bashfulness. "It's not like anyone's here to assume anything."

True enough, the Fourteenth's Host had left a paper-work exhausted Link behind in his room, and Timcanpy's records were being reviewed. Unable to argue further, the white-haired youth finally gave in, accepting the offered side of the blanket, albeit a little hesitantly. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable around Kira; no, not after the time they'd spent fighting in the Holy War. Hell, he'd even slept in a cave alone with the younger girl during her first real mission where they'd been separated from the main group, a raging forest in Maine, USA, at their throats. But even so, such events had been spent with the sole purpose of survival, of comradeship in their mission. Such closeness in this safe setting had an, inevitably, more intimate feeling.

Or perhaps he was just over-thinking things (no thanks to Komui's threats on all male exorcists towards their younger female counterparts). While they sat side by side, shoulder to shoulder, he and his fellow Parasitic-type comrade still weren't too close to each other physically. Kira sure didn't seem to mind either way; if anything, the _Afe'la Ohr_ Accomadator looked quite comfortable where she sat, sharing her blanket with him.

For just a moment, Allen had de ja vu where had had been in about the same situation with Lenalee Lee, sleeping on that couch with her head resting upon his shoulder, and Johnny on her lap. Though, he figured he was in less danger with Kira, considering Lenalee's sister-complex brother and his Supervisor, Komui Lee.

"What about you?" asked Allen suddenly, tilting his head as he returned to their earlier topic of conversation, shaking off his distracting thoughts. "Enjoying the dreary rain?"

Kira snorted in response to his underlying teasing, shifting a little in her spot to keep her blood flowing. "Hmm, not today," she admitted. "It's a tad too chilly."

"Just a _tad_," he echoed in agreement, his voice laced with amusement.

Kira grinned. She had missed these moments, being able to just sit down and chat with Allen. They had both been excessively busy with missions, and she hadn't had much time to converse with her assumed trainer and friend, let alone without his assigned stalker, Howard Link, breathing down Allen's neck.

The teenager hummed softly as her thoughts continued to twirl about, attention now directed away from her contemplations and to the dark clouds outside. The shadowy masses were relentlessly dumping heavy buckets of rain, which pounded adamantly against the stained glass window, warring vainly against its smooth, colored surface.

"I wanted to see the stars tonight," Kira commented idly, gazing upon the grumpy sky.

"The stars?" repeated Allen, tilting his head and looking to her from the corner of his eye.

The dying candle's flame managed to light up the small smile that flickered across Kira's dark skinned face, and the young girl's bright blue eyes closed as a soft reply left her lips -

"I've always loved looking at the stars," she explained, a slight tug of homesickness pulling at her gut. "They don't show very often here in London, but sometimes back in Newton-in-Furness, on those rare, clear nights, I could see them shining so bright up above. Twinkling pinpricks of light in the dark sky . . ."

Allen's silver gaze followed Kira's blue ones, past the lazily fading glow of the candle, through the chilled, stained glass of the window, and up to the melancholy sky. He hadn't really thought about them before, the stars. Weather in most of England was always rather cloudy and rainy - certainly not the desired location to go star-gazing.

"I'd like to see the moon too."

The image of a stark and cragged, toothy crescent moon flashed past Allen's mind's eye, and he stiffened.

"It glows a lot brighter than the stars," continued Kira, oblivious to her friend's sudden discomfort.

"It does," agreed the Fourteenth's Host weakly as the candle upon the windowsill finally died out, its deceased flame leaving behind nothing more than a small trail of smoke that curled up into the darkness. It was then that the scarred teen was trying his best to ignore the empty eyed, grinning shadow just barely reflected in the suddenly darker, no longer lit stained glass window before him. He had successfully ignored it for so long too -

"But I guess your hair can take its place tonight."

"Yea-what?" Allen, caught off guard, flashed a confused look to his friend, only to see her giving him a teasing grin, eyes bright.

Stifling her giggles, Kira pointed to her baffled comrade's strikingly white hair. "It's so dark now since the candle went out, that your hair is the brightest thing in the hall - it looks like it's glowing!"

Aghast, Allen reached up to clutch his messily cut locks, blushing wildly as his comrade laughed aloud. True enough, his snowy hair did appear to be glowing - white naturally being a color that reflected any and all light, no matter how miniscule - and he knew he wouldn't hear the end of it! The cursed boy could already imagine the new jokes and nicknames- oh, if _Lavi_ found out- !

"The sun'll be up soon, ya know," stated Kira suddenly, still grinning widely. "We ought to get some sleep before then, no?"

"Y-yes," agreed Allen, recovering his pride, though his face still felt warm. He blamed the blanket Kira was sharing with him - yes, that was it! Stupid blanket-

"And since my candle went out, how about we take advantage of that hair of yours," continued the younger exorcist, unable to help herself.

What little of his composure he had recovered, the Destroyer of Time lost right then and there. He immediately made quick use of his side of the blanket and yanked it up to cover his hair - a last attempt to retain some form of dignity. Unfortunately, as it truly had been the brightest thing in the hall, their surroundings got ever so slightly darker, which only made Kira laugh again, making him turn a darker shade of red.

"It's- It's not that bright!" he insisted.

"Oho, yes it is!"

"K-Kira, really!"

"Just admit it, Allen!"

"I will not!"

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Allen, really!" giggled Kira, now reaching for the blanket that hid his hair and tugging playfully at it, ignoring the chill of the hall biting at their no-longer protected flesh. "C'mon, don't hide it!"

"You can say that when _your_ hair glows!" the mortified boy retorted, warding off her hands, still blushing brightly. "The last thing I need is another nickname!"

"Yes, because you know, Lavi would sure love to call you a glowy beansprout~"

"O-oi!"

"Okay, okay," gave in Kira, grinning as broadly ever. "But really, we're going to need a light to get back," she insisted a little more seriously.

Sure enough, Allen realized, it had become quite dark since they'd lost the candle's dancing flame, the shadows eagerly returning the moment their enemy, the light, had died out. Furthermore, the windows offered no real illuminating aid, as the rain storm beyond them continued to block out any moon or stars the sky normally provided. Really, all that could be seen visibly was perhaps a foot radius around them, which wasn't too helpful in the new Black Order's dark, unlit halls.

"You know, that hair of yours-"

"No."

Kira pouted.

"How about this - I'll provide the warmth, you provide the light?"

Allen gave her a funny look, trying to figure out what she meant by such a general, ambigous statement. Inevitably, the "warmth" she claimed she could provide out of context led to a variety of thoughts (some of which were no thanks to his Master!), and he stammered out a nervous, "E-Ehh?"

"The blanket, silly," she explained, poking him. "And you can use Crown Clown? It's brighter than your hair anyway," Kira added coyly.

Allen twitched at the last bit, but relaxed at her clarifying her earlier offer. It sounded reasonable enough, he supposed. Though, wouldn't his Crown Clown provide enough heat too? It _was_ a cloak after all, made of Innocence to boot, and probably a lot warmer than the thin blanket Kira had brought.

"We could just use Crown Clown instead? It'll be a lot warmer than that blanket," the older exorcist stated, only realizing what he'd thoughtlessly offered after the invitation left his lips. For what felt like the thousandth time that night, a blush crept up his cheeks; but upon looking nervously to Kira for her reaction, he found he wasn't the only one. A warm tinge of red was just barely noticeable in the dark, and she suddenly looked just as bashful as he had when she'd offered her blanket to him earlier.

"Friends don't let friends freeze?" tried Allen, attempting to make the sudden awkward moment less awkward.

"I-" the dark-skinned girl cut off, steadying her voice as she fingered her nightgown, suddenly shy. "I suppose you're right," she finally managed, reasoning that Crown Clown would indeed be warmer; and she certainly couldn't refuse Allen's offer after he'd used her own words against her! Plus, it wouldn't hurt right? They were friends after all, so it really ought to be fine, she concluded.

Invitation tentatively accepted, the Critical Point Breaker shook off his earlier anxiety, got up from the chilly stone bench, and called upon his Anti-Akuma Weapon with a whispered, "Crown Clown!"

Meanwhile, Kira couldn't help but think how she had spotted Allen earlier and decided fleetingly to join him, aiming to provide company for her cursed comrade - to give him some light as he sat alone in the dark by this stained glass window, staring blankly out into the rain. She hadn't quite expected her candle to die out, and then for him to end up helping her instead; but as the young girl turned this plot-twist in her head, and as with a flash, Crown Clown billowed out, a white, almost heavenly glow filling the hall and chasing away the shadows and darkness around them, Kira realized that this tended to be how it always played out anyway.

The Swedish and British Cherokee looked up as the illuminating presence from Crown Clown seemed to get closer, and sure enough, she found herself gazing upon an inviting, white gloved hand.

"Ready to go?" asked Allen, smiling kindly.

Always smiling.

Always welcoming.

Always there to help.

Kira smiled to herself in-turn and accepted his hand, allowing the older boy to pull her up. Allen then tentatively lengthened Crown Clown's cloak so as to accommodate her into its warmth, and the fifteen year-old embraced its welcoming glow, de ja vu of the many other times she had been offered its protection flashing through her mind.

As the two Parasitic-Type exorcists made their way back to their respective rooms, exchanging sheepish but amused grins, a new resolve bloomed in Kira's chest.

Some day, she would be the one to comfort Allen, her dear friend with so many troubles ahead of him.

Next time, surely, her light would not go out.

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**A / N** : Over the years of writing _Song of the Fourteenth_, my main DGM fanfiction, I've gotten many requests for more Allen x Kira, especially fluff-wise. Since I'm not one to speed into relationships in writing (I prefer realistic relationships, haha), I realize that many have been a little disappointed in not receiving quite as much as they wished to read. Therefore, after much contemplation, I decided to try stretching my non-existent fluff-writing finger muscles. It's certainly not romance, but I hope that some of my readers may be pleased with this! This is for ya'll :)

Any constructive criticism is welcome! Also, feel free to point out odd sentence constructions, grammar mistakes, or spelling mistakes, so I can fix them. All reviews are greatly appreciated, and make a very happy, motivated-to-write-more Chi, haha.

I'd like to thank my babus Papsy (papyrus-tree on deviantART) and B3GIN (B3GIN on deviantART) for reading over this and providing feedback; ya'll rock!


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